Notably, Zohran Mamdani is not the only popular mayor of Indian origin. From Aftab Karma Singh Pureval to Raj Mishra, there are many popular mayors in the world who are of India origin. Check all about them.
Zohran Mamdani, 34-year-old Indian-origin democratic socialist, secured a monumental victory in the New York City mayoral election on Wednesday. Mamdani, the son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and Indian-origin scholar Mahmood Mamdani, will be New York’s youngest mayor in over a century, and the first Muslim and South Asian to lead the largest city in the US.
The charismatic leader defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a scandal-hit Democrat who ran as an independent, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, in the keenly-watched contest that grabbed global attention.
From Nehru’s ‘Tryst with Destiny’ to โDhoom Macha leโ New Yorkโs newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, did not forget to flaunt his Indian roots during his first victory speech, although he did not mention India or Indians directly. Flanked by his Indian-origin parents and wife Rama Duwaji on the stage, Mamdani quoted Indiaโs first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehruโs famous โTryst with Destinyโ address in his victory speech.
Mamdani was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. He became a naturalised US citizen only recently, in 2018.
Notably, Zohran Mamdani is not the only popular mayor of Indian origin. From Aftab Karma Singh Pureval to Raj Mishra, there are many popular mayors in the world who are of India origin. Check all about them.
Aftab Karma Singh Pureval: Cincinnati, USA
Democrat Aftab Pureval won the re-election as mayor of Cincinnati on Tuesday, defeating Cory Bowman, a Republican who is Vice President J D Vance’s half-brother. Pureval was first elected mayor in 2021. The office is officially nonpartisan, but his party preference is Democratic. He won the all-party municipal primary in May with more than 80 per cent of the vote. Prior to running for mayor, he worked as a lawyer.
Aftab Pureval was born on 9 September 1982, in Xenia, Ohio, to immigrant parents, Punjabi father Devinder Singh Pureval and Tibetan mother Drenko. When he was four years old, his family moved to nearby Beavercreek.
Raj Mishra: Wellingborough, UK
Raj Mishra was elected as the fifth Mayor of Wellingborough Town Council at the Annual Town Council Meeting on 13 May 2025. The 37-year-old Indian-origin politician was elected as the mayor of Wellingborough, a historic market town in Northamptonshire.
Samip (Sam) Joshi: Edison, New Jersey, USA
Samip Joshi was elected as the firstย Indian-American mayor of Edisonย inย New Jersey in 2021. Samip Joshi, better known as Sam Joshi, has his roots in Gujaratโs Shirvrajpur. Samโs father Pradeep Joshi moved to the US in the early 1990s and Sam was born in the US. Pradeepโs brother Raj Joshi had first migrated to the US, after that their elder brother Arvind, and later younger brother Pradeep, too, migrated to America.
Hemant Marathe: West Windsor, New Jersey, USA
Hemant Marathe won re-election to a second term by defeating Tirza Wahrman by a 28 percent margin in 2021. According to the Mercer County Clerkโs office as of Nov. 4, Marathe received 4,887 votes (63.87 percent) and Wahrman garnered 2,765 votes (36.13 percent).ย In 2017, Marathe was elected mayor with 3,327 seats. He defeated fellow Indian American Kamal Khanna.
Justin Towndale: City of Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
Justin Towndale, who was elected as the Cornwall mayor in 2022 by defeating incumbent Glen Grant, has a Kochi connection. His parents, Angelo Towndale and Pushpy Angelo, migrated to Canada from Kochi about 52 years back. While Angelo Towndale belonged to Pallimukku in Kochi, his wife is from the Kalappurakkal family in Edakochi.
Raj Salwan: Fremont, California, USA
Raj Salwan made history as Fremontโs first Indian American mayor after he took by his father at a ceremony at City Hall in 2024, marking a major milestone for the diverse Northern California city. His mother, wife, and other family members attended the December 10 ceremony watched by a packed hall of Indian Americans and local supporters.
Sworn in as Fremontโs first Indian-American elected Mayor in December 2024, Mayor Raj Salwan grew up in Fremont, where he attended Vallejo Mill Elementary School and walked to school from his familyโs one-bedroom apartment.
Sid Vashist: Barkly Regional Council, Northern Territory, Australia
Sid Vashist is the current Mayor of the Barkly Regional Council, having been elected to the position in November 2024. He won the election with 54 per cent of the vote and was officially declared the new mayor on November 18, 2024. Vashist previously served as the youngest elected councillor for the BRC and is the first Indian-origin mayor to be elected through a popular vote in an Australian council.
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Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayoral election, know all about his connection with India